TOP PHOTO: Campbell County broke ground on a new basketball season Tuesday night at Brown Gym as the Cougar Crazies started construction on the road to winning a campaign. (PHOTO COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLOTTE UNDERWOOD)

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – The Campbell Cougars started Tuesday night’s non-district game ice cold. Though once the fire was lit, Campbell never cooled down scorching Claiborne enroute to a 77-49 win. Watch Campbell’s varsity wins HERE on demand.

John Long’s long free throw broke the ice for Campbell in the chilly start for the homestanding Cougars. Visiting Claiborne, in Campbell’s home and season opener, jumped on top 5-0. Long made it 5-1, and the Cougars did not post a field goal for the first three minutes of the game.

With the score sitting at 10-3, Cougar fans were wondering just when or if Campbell would start its offensive engine. Claiborne’s largest lead of seven did not last long once Campbell turned the key.

The score sat at 10-7 when foreign exchange student Adama Sanogo entered the game. The 6-3, 196-pound, post player brought it. He made back-to-back “and ones,” and the game was never the same from the 1:45 mark of the first quarter forward. Sanogo’s points ignited a 26-point run as the score went from 10-3 to 29 to 10. What Campbell started in the second quarter carried into the third quarter. The Cougars held a 40-21 halftime advantage.

Coach Ernie Clawson challenged his team at halftime to come out and pour it on. And it did building on a 19 point mid-game lead taking it out to a 36 point gap at 64-28 right before the third quarter ended.

It was a night when every Cougar played, and all but one scored. Devon Jones led all scorers with 19, 15 in the opening half, while fellow senior John Long posted 14 points, 10 in the first two quarters. From there, Adama Sanogo, plagued with fouls, tallied 10, seven points came from Gavin Cox, Luke Browning added five, Hyrum Hinckley and Jordan Day each had four points. Elijah McKinney’s points came on a big three as Will Lester and Gavin Owens also accounted for three points a piece. Hayden Fields and David Adkins chipped in two each with Eli Dorton chipping in a free throw. Cole Miller fouled out before he could score.

By the quarters, it was 17-10 after one in favor of Campbell and then the Cougars chalked up a 23-11 second quarter ahead of a 26-12 third, and it was Claiborne winning the final quarter 16-11.

Halls hosts Campbell on Friday night, and WLAF will send you all the live coverage. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 11/16/2022-6AM)

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